Canada hosts the Maori at Toronto's BMO Field on Nov. 3. The tourists then head to Philadelphia to play the U.S. Eagles on Nov. 10.

The touring Maori roster features six former All Blacks including Corey Flynn, Zac Guildford, Jarrad Hoeata and Piri Weepu.

"It's an outstanding team when you go through it," said Crowley, a former All Black himself. "They've got some really exciting backs there, some ex-All Blacks as well. And there are some players, if you've been watching the ITM Cup in New Zealand, who have certainly been really firing.

"So it's going to be a massive challenge for us, but it's one we're looking forward to."

Crowley has been denied some of his top second-row talent, due to their club responsibilities. Cudmore, Sinclair, Beukeboon and Hotson are all missing out.

As the incumbent, Harry Jones probably holds the edge at fly half although Crowley also has Liam Underwood at his disposal.

The New Zealanders are an invitational team drawn from players of Maori descent. The first Maori All Blacks were officially selected in 1910 although the 1888 New Zealand Natives team, the first New Zealand side to wear the famous black jersey, was originally conceived as an all-Maori selection.

The team has a proud, winning heritage.

The Maori have beaten the likes of the British & Irish Lions, England, Ireland and Fiji.

The Maori record since 2005 is 18-2, with the lone losses coming at the hands of the Leicester Tigers, an English powerhouse club, in 2012 and the England Saxons, England's reserve squad, in 2007.

Canada lost 32-19 to the Maori in 2012 and 59-23 in 2007.

About half of Canada's 26-man roster is drawn from the team that went 1-2 at the Americas Rugby Championship.

Reinforcements include captain Aaron Carpenter, who has been released from England's Cornish Pirates along with Matt Evans.

Crowley and the 14th-ranked Canadian team will fly to Europe the day after the Maori game for test matches against No. 16 Georgia in Tbilisi on Nov. 9, Romania in Bucharest on Nov. 16 and Portugal in Lisbon on Nov. 23.